The future is here. I have watched the world greet the new century all day, and there is an incredible awe-inspiring sense of universal interconnectedness. Fireworks blazing in the skies over Auckland, Cairo, Paris, Moscow, Lisbon, Rio, London, Bethlehem, Athens -- amazing never-seen before spectacles of burning light in the middle of night... Joy! Peace!

It truly is a new feeling. :-)

I have few words today, since it is such an awesome day on this planet. It's a day of taking in, of ingesting, of silently watching a miracle taking place around the world.

Russia has a new president, Putin. A good thing!

Huge congratulations to Lisa Silverthorne who sold to SWORD AND SORCERESS #18, to Patricia Novak who sold to SWORD AND SORCERESS #20, and to Dave Smeds who sold to SWORD AND SORCERESS #18! Way to go, friends! :-)

Check out a whole bunch of new NAWticisms -- the last ones of 1999! :-)

As for me, good news... the loan for the house I was trying to buy was approved. *grin*

More later...

Happy New Year! Happy Year 2000!

12-25-99

NEWSFLASH!

The brightest moon shines softly on this night...

Shadows are crisp, and lines of high contrast criss-cross the moonglow upon the earth.

In the darkness, bright golden fireflies of lights shimmer and wink, interspersed with colored bits of the rainbow. They race and twinkle and move in and out of this world.

Silence, and the cold wind moves the dark branches.

Houses stand, blanketed by the night, with sleeping children, animals, women, and men. Inside, thay are warm with somnolent darkness, a scent of pine and fireplaces, of baked cookies and warm rising sweet dough...

Peace drifts gently...

Soon, dawn will come.

With the dawn, the first ray of sunlight will kiss the world, as the new morning is born, and glittering radiance will fill the eastern sky.

We will awake, you and I.

Joy!

Joy to the World!

Merry Christmas.

12-23-99

NEWSFLASH!

My malingering illness is petering out. I still cough occasionally, and my voice cracks, and I feel pretty weak, but otherwise I'm on the mend.

Some big news is that I am trying to buy a house. I even made an offer (less than the asking price), and the owner accepted. But there are problems with the mortgage lender qualifying me. I don't know how it will all end. *sigh* For now, I just don't want to talk about it, so as not to jinx anything. I hate being poor and in debt!!!

Otherwise, not too much happening here, except this horrible anticipation....

I got the SWORD AND SORCERESS #17 page proofs last night, and corrected them, and will be sending them back to DAW soon.

I am also feeling oddly creepy about Y2K. It's coming on too fast. I feel like I need to go to the store and buy some basics, just in case shit happens... Stuff like batteries and rice and some other staple foods....

12-13-99

NEWSFLASH!

Still sick, but no longer catatonic, since I went to Urgent Care and got some antibiotics. If I breathe in too deep, I hack, or sneeze, or fall over, like a happy fat Budda. But it's getting better. :-)

Meanwhile, check out this curiosity which I call Wisdom of the Maniac -- a page of random quotes from my "philosophy diary" which I started as a high school kid, and kept through early college. Some of it is maudlin and silly, but some pretty darn good. Enjoy, but don't snarf too much. The Javascript I "borrowed" from elsewhere. :-)

12-12-99

NEWSFLASH!

Ahh, the rantings of a fevered mind....

Yes, I've got the flu. On and off high temperature, inflamed head, throat and nose, blech. I am even now sorta floating here, high above the keyboard (but not in a tin can -- down, Major Tom! -- and not like the Mars Lander) thinking deep idiot profound meaningless thoughts. Ok, what am I supposed to post here anyway?

Oh yes. :-) Happy belated birthday to fellow WebRat Jennifer! :-) Welcome to all the other new WebRats!

And Toby, you RULE!!! Writers of the Future, First Place Winner!!! Wooohoo!!! :-)

I'm looking forward to a little NAW mini-reunion this Sunday here in Los Angeles, when Linda comes down for a conference, and Jenn and I will meet up with her for dinner, and also Fiona will come too. This should be great! I think haven't seen Linda since Baltimore Worldcon! On the other hand, I just saw Jenn and Fiona last week. *grin* Can't wait!